Mario Party 2 Is Better Than The First. Another Mario Tastic Game.
Mario and his friends are arguing over what to name the new land that's been discovered. Some of the suggestions mentioned by their respective individuals are Mario Land, Peach Land, and Wario Land (dude, Wario, you have 4 of them already). Unable to settle their argument, they decide to duke it out in a game of Mario Party, to determine who the real superstar should be.
Gameplay : The same 6 characters from the first Mario Party return in this game - Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, and Donkey Kong. Like its predecessor, Mario Party 2 has some very addictive gameplay value, particularly if you've got friends. Each board map is featured around some kind of theme park, like Space Land, Pirate Land, or Horror Land. One unique thing about this game is that each of the characters wears a costume that's fitting for the board you're playing on (for example, your characters will wear space suits in Space Land).
If you're not familiar with the basics of Mario Party games, here's how it goes. After all the characters and game settings are selected, you are taken to the actual board map. First, each player takes a turn rolling the dice to determine turn order. The higher numbers go first. Each player is then given 10 coins. Then it's time to party! Every turn, each character rolls the dice to determine the number of spaces he or she moves. Certain spaces trigger different events. The most common spaces are the blue spaces. If you land on one of these spaces, you'll gain 3 coins. Other spaces include red spaces, which make you lose 3 coins, Bowser spaces, which take you to Bowser for a certain event (usually a bad thing), and happening spaces, which do all sorts of different things depending on the board. The goal of each game is to collect the most stars, which can be purchased from Toad who is placed randomly around the board map. Around each board you'll meet several different characters, such as Boo, who will steal coins or stars from another player.
Of course, Mario Parties are all about the minigames. Mario Party 2 features over 60 minigames, many of which are returning from the first Party. This is definitely a plus for those who missed Bumper Balls, Skateboard Scamper, and Mushroom Mix-up the first time around, but for those who had already played them, its kind of a ripoff. The new ones are pretty fun too.
Graphics : Okay, we're talking N64 graphics here. It may be hard to be impressed with these nowadays, but I'm rating this as an N64 game. The graphics are pretty solid for the most part and fairly colorful, maybe a tad too colorful. The N64 has games with better graphics, but the textures in Mario Party 2 work for the most part.
Sound : Mario Party 2 features some fairly forgettable tunes, but catchy to say the least. The Western theme in particular is very catchy, as it sounds like a ''saloon theme'' that they'd play in an old Western movie, though slightly less annoying. Like the graphics, the sound is nothing special, but it works. Some of the music used in the minigames are remixed from minigame themes in the first Mario Party.
In terms of lasting appeal, this game will last you much longer if you're playing with friends. The countless minigames and board maps should keep you and your buddies up for quite a few nights, turning bedtime into "Mario Party time". The game definitely isn't as long-lived when you're playing by yourself, but what's a party supposed to be with only one person, anyways? Same thing applies for replay value. It's a party game, for crying out loud.
Buy. And if you're new to the series, MP2 would be a good place to start.